Social worker cheated by Maharashtra Minister’s ‘PA’

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Khed (Maharashtra), Oct 19 (IANS) A case of fraud involving Rs 5,000 has come to light at Khed in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district, where a man posed as the personal assistant (PA) of state minister Yogesh Kadam and cheated a social worker by promising to arrange a meeting with the minister and get his work done.

The accused, identified as Raviraj Chikhale, accepted Rs 5,000 from the complainant, Vidyadhar Dattaram Salunkhe, 56, on September 17 in Khed.

According to the complaint, Salunkhe wanted to bring to the minister’s attention the alleged operation of unauthorised stone quarries in Chiplun taluka, which were reportedly causing significant revenue losses to the government. During this process, Chikhale allegedly introduced himself as the minister’s PA and promised to arrange a meeting with the minister.

However, Salunkhe alleged that the promised meeting never took place and his work remained incomplete despite the payment.

Following the complaint, Khed police registered a case on October 18, under Crime No. 342/2026. The case has been registered under Sections 318(2), 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Further investigation is underway.

The allegations against Chikhale are yet to be established through the investigation.

In a similar incident, Delhi Police, on September 29, had arrested a 44-year-old man for allegedly cheating a businessman from Dwarka of Rs 1.69 lakh by posing as the spouse of a prominent political leader and seeking money urgently to pay a student’s fees.

The accused, Bhalinder Pal Singh, allegedly used an image of the Ashoka emblem as his messaging application profile picture to make his account appear official. According to police, he told the businessman that the money would subsequently be reimbursed through the politician’s office.

The businessman allegedly transferred money to multiple bank accounts and also booked a Delhi-Lucknow flight ticket before realising that he had been cheated.

–IANS

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